[RPG] Is D&D 4e supposed to have really easy skill checks

dnd-4e

I have been using the D&D Insider character builder recently to help my group streamline leveling up and keep their powers better organized. I noticed that a carefully statted-out character at level 5 had a +14 to stealth checks. When I referenced my D&D DM Screen today for skill check DCs level 5 was "Easy:10, Moderate:15, Hard:22". This meant that this particular character had a 60% chance of succeeding on a "hard" skill check.

Looking at another character who wasn't as "Min/Maxed" they still had +9-11 in their trained skills. which is better but still seems too easy. +9 to +11 is still a 35%-45% chance to succeed a 22DC.

The +14 was a Vrykola Vampire (trained in stealth and has a +3 in the "misc" column of the break down, maybe racial bonus and item bonus from gloaming armor +1?) his other trained skills are +11. the other less min maxed character was a Minotaur Shaman of the same level that only had +9s and +11s in its trained skills

Are these numbers on my Screen wrong or, are these characters over powered?

Best Answer

Your DM screen is right.

Current DCs are here, Rules Compendium p. 126, and in DDI:

Hard: These checks are designed to test characters who are even more focused on the particular skill, though there might still be some chance of failure even for these expert characters. Without additional assistance (such as a power bonus or another character’s aid), the expert PC will succeed against these DCs around two out of three times. The expert PC typically has training in the skill, and his or her primary ability score is the skill’s key ability (or secondary ability score along with a skill focus feat or racial bonus). As the character increases in level, we expect feat and item selection to provide an extra boost along the way, as well as ability score increases. This DC is a good choice to really challenge a focused PC, though it’s also a good DC to use for repeated successes with a single skill in a skill challenge (once the first, moderate attempt is successful).

At Level 5, a Hard check is 22, which indeed provides an expert character a chance to fail.

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